India's public sector steel companies will spend a whopping Rs 230 crore (Rs 2.30 billion) on corporate social responsibility to build 'Model Steel Villages' across the country during the current financial year.
Out of this the major contributions are from Steel Authority of India Limited (Rs.100 crore or Rs 1 billion), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (Rs.27 crore or Rs 270 million) and National Mineral Development Corporation (Rs.89 crore or Rs 890 million).
Secretary ministry of steel R S Pandey on Wednesday reviewed the progress of the social initiatives of steel companies under the ministry. He said the public sector companies should ensure implementation of the planned programmes in a time bound manner. He also asked the companies to give administrative and financial powers to streamline implementation.
Public sector units whose top executives attended the review meeting included SAIL, RINL, NMDC, MECON, MOIL, MTC, KIOCL, HSCL, BRL and FSNL.
Under the schemes, about 126 villages to be known as 'Model Steel Villages' will be
provided with necessary amenities and constructive programmes to bring about all round improvement of the villages including promotion of steel use.
Of these, Sail will be responsible for 79 villages, NMDC for 40, MOIL for two and RINL for five villages. Beginning with the peripheral areas around their respective plants, the PSUs will gradually target the CSR activities to cover the areas populated by the SCs, STs and weaker sections of the society, so as to cover all the districts in the country within the next 2-3 years.
The meeting resolved that the PSUs will also be organizing around 150 health camps in about 100 districts in the country during the current fiscal year 2007-08.
Such camps have already been organized successfully by Bokaro Steel Plant in Jharkhand and Bihar. In addition, the PSUs will also be providing assistance to National, State and reputed local organizations involved in the field of arts, culture, tourism, sports and other allied areas. For these the steel PSUs will be shortly drawing up a detailed action plan.
